For Pia

Because I know you’ll understand.

:D

 

Talk about the weather

February is not cooperating with my plans for an early spring.  As I speak, we’re getting pelted–again–with a delightful “wintery mix”, which is inconvenient because I want to plant all the things now!  Anyone else eyeing their seed catalogs with something bordering on lust?  I’m laying out gardens in my mind and dreaming of hugelkultur.  We’ve got tons of downed branches and trees, and I’m going to hugel the hell out of them—as soon as it stops snowing.  I love winter.  I really do.  For about a month and a half.  But come February, I can’t decide if I’m supposed to be learning about patience or resignation.

The weather here is very changeable and can be seen either as respite or a tease depending on your point of view. The other day it was 50 degrees and foggy.  Very beautiful.  The back and forth weather can make it difficult to know when to when to get going in the spring.  It is not uncommon to have 80 or 90 degree days in April and then get a frost in May.  And then straight back to 90 by June.  You just never know.  So, I’m going to start some seeds indoors to satisfy this need to see green things growing and just roll with the weather.

The nice thing about winter is that it very naturally allows time for contemplation, reflection, and sussing out ones thoughts and ideas.  This winter has given me a lot of quiet time outside, for which I am very thankful.  I’ve been turning my mind to sustainability, permaculture, conservation, and how to be a good steward of the land and what is on it.  I’ll be writing more on these things, hopefully as thoughts shift in to actions.

In other news, the move is done.  Huzzah!

So, all you gardeners out there… favorite gardening method?  Tricks you couldn’t believe you’d ever gardened without?  Do you start indoors or direct-sow?  Anyone try hugelkultur?  Raised beds?  Rows?  Anyone done any vermiculture or other types of composting?  Tell all about it!